CPAPfor King Richard

Once upon a time there was a lion named Richard.

Richard was very brave and very smart.

He was, after all, King of the Beasts.

All day long, Richard worked hard keeping order in the kingdom.

All the elephants, giraffes, gazelles and birds came to him for help.

He was wise and kind.

But King Richard had one big problem.

He was always tired!

He went to bed at night, but he had a hard time sleeping.

He woke up a lot and even when he slept all night long, he still woke up tired.

Poor Richard!

As the weeks passed, King Richard became very grumpy because he was so tired.

When the animals came to ask him for help, he would growl at them.

“Leave me alone!” he would say. His roars shook the savanna for miles around.

All the animals began to worry.They didn’t know how to help Richard.

Finally, they went to the wise old owl for help.

The owl said he had been watching King Richard, and he believed that the king had something called “sleep apnea.”

“Sleep apnea?!?” the animals said. “What is that?”

“It means that when our brave,wonderful King Richard sleeps, his body isn’t breathing right and he isn’t getting enough energy.

“We all need good rest at night so that we have energy in the daytime. If we don’t have energy, we are grumpy and we can’t make good choices,” said the owl.

“That must be why he is grumbling and roaring all the time,” said a little mouse. “King Richard is tired because he isn’t breathing well at night time.”

“But how do we fix this problem?” asked a curious giraffe.

“That’s easy,” said the owl. “King Richard must learn to use a machine that helps him breathe at night.

“If he uses it every night, he will start to feel better and get stronger and wiser again.

“It feels strange at first because it blows air in your nose.

“But King Richard is so brave, I am sure he will learn to wear it and get used to the blowing.”

The animals loved their king.They wanted very much to help him, so they went to the city and bought a special machine called a CPAP machine.

It had a mask that looked a little like a lion’s nose and straps to hold it on his head.

King Richard laughed when he tried on the CPAP mask.

“Do you really think this will help me?” he asked the animals.

“The wise old owl told us it will, and he is always right,” said the elephants.

“We know it will feel strange and uncomfortable at first, but will you try using it?”

“I am King of the Beasts and very brave,” said Richard.

“I am not afraid of a little mask, even if it does feel strange. I promise I will try it.”

The animals all cheered.They were so happy.

Over time, King Richard learned to use the mask, and he felt much better.

He wasn’t grumpy and grumbly anymore, and he was able once again to make wise and wonderful decisions.

© 2011, 2015 Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle, Washington. All rights reserved.

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PE1276

Story by Susan Sidman, MEd

Illustrations by Michaele Miller

Seattle Children’s offers interpreter services for Deaf, hard of hearing or non-English speaking patients, family members and legal representatives free of charge. Children’s will make this information available in alternate formats upon request. Call the Family Resource Center at 206-987-2201.

This book has been reviewed by clinical staff at Seattle Children’s. However, your child’s needs are unique. Before you act or rely upon this information, please talk with your child’s healthcare provider.

For inquiries regarding this book, contact the Family Resource Center at 206-987-2201.

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